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"The most important period of life is not the age of university studies but the period from birth to the age of six…for that is the time when intelligence itself, her greatest implement, is being formed…"

~ Maria Montessori

Elementary

The classes are small - The learning is monumental

Our Elementary Program is licensed under the PA Department of Education and includes Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Studies have shown Montessori graduates transition well and excel academically and socially in traditional educational environments. The emphasis is on cooperation, collaboration and respect for others rights and feelings. Coming from the unique Montessori multi-age environment, they make friends easily and have a balanced outlook on life.

Elementary-aged children continue to learn through the use of concrete materials as they move gradually toward increasingly abstract thinking. Students are working toward becoming responsible citizens who have achieved independence, self-direction, academic success, and an awareness of the needs of others. By this age, the focus of a child's Montessori education takes "help me to help myself" and adds "so I may help others." In the Elementary Program, children deepen their hunger for learning and master the internal tools to discover knowledge on their own. Having achieved a sophisticated sense of wonder, Montessori students continue to follow their intellectual curiosity at their own pace, often ahead of grade level, and beyond their traditionally educated peers.

Students are continuously evolving, learning new skills and exploring new ideas. Bringing an attitude of awe to the interdependence of the natural world and interconnectedness of all life, students approach traditional subjects such as biology and geometry, geography and physics, grammar, writing, and integrated art with impassioned, "what if" thinking.

Rather than forcing students to regurgitate facts, Teachers are creatively sowing the seeds of imagination, while ensuring skills are practiced and evaluated appropriately through regular observation/testing. Academic success is reported to parents via progress reports, conferences. Children learn to lead and partner with others of any age and point of view as a natural expression in school and the world.

Children attend music and physical education classes in large groups with friends, and work individually toward their own intellectual goals. Combining the best of Montessori principles with conventional education methods, specially-trained Teachers use hands-on materials, peer teaching, and creatively guided instruction to meet each child's interest and ability. When children work at their own rate, they excel at their own pace, this is what makes learning "real" and meaningful to the children.